


If my heart is idle

by AroArtem



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Aromantic Asexual Entrapta (She-Ra), Aromantic Asexual Frosta (She-Ra), Aromantic Perfuma (She-Ra), Autistic Entrapta (She-Ra), Canon Compliant, Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra) - QPR, Gen, Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra) - Freeform, POV Entrapta (She-Ra), POV Frosta (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra) - Freeform, Post-Canon, Queerplatonic Relationships, aroace autistic author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:49:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26057494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AroArtem/pseuds/AroArtem
Summary: A couple short one-shots exploring some aromantic and asexual headcanons I have.Perfuma and Frosta bond and Perfuma is the cool validating mother figure we all wish we had. Mermista grills Entrapta about the nature of her relationship with Hordak.
Relationships: Entrapta & Mermista (She-Ra), Frosta & Perfuma (She-Ra)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, I love lesbians as much as the next queer (like SO much, I’m obsessed with Catradora), but I get sad because even the most progressive shows have no a-spec rep. I’ve literally _never_ seen a canon aro-spec character on TV. So in the interest of writing what I want to exist in the world, here are my aro headcanons. (These a-spec terms are all googleable if you don’t know what they mean, but I can answer questions in the comments if anyone still has them after reading.)
> 
> Perfuma is aro (maybe aroqueer or non-SAM aro). Entrapta is aroace and in a queerplatonic relationship (QPR) with Hordak. Aroace-spec Frosta is inspired by [When You’re Older by Deflare](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25186189). I also wanted to write pansexual loveless aro Double Trouble but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how, so just go read [Disgusting by Bannedd567](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24259681) because it really captures how I picture loveless aro Double Trouble.
> 
> Title from Doomed by Moses Sumney on his album Aromanticism.

“So,” Glimmer said, glancing slyly at Frosta from where they sat with Perfuma in a nest of blankets on the floor of Frosta’s ice palace room, “is there anyone you’ve got a crush on?”

Frosta grinned wickedly as Glimmer raised her soda bottle to her lips. “Uh, heck YEAH. Ever heard of HORDE PRIME?”

Glimmer choked on her soda. She began coughing and gasping, eyes wild and bewildered. Perfuma also looked startled—probably because Glimmer was suddenly dying, Frosta guessed.

“Sorry,” Glimmer managed between coughs, “you have a crush on _Horde Prime_?”

“Yeah, and all his dumb robots!” (Glimmer’s choking continued with renewed vigour.) “I crushed so many robots at the Battle for Etheria! You guys saw me, I was like—” Frosta made dramatic sound effects with her mouth and punched the air with imaginary ice fists a few times. “And we totally crushed Horde Prime in the end!”

Glimmer and Perfuma made eye contact and burst out laughing. Perfuma just chuckled, but Glimmer started full on howling while still trying to recover from choking on her drink, with the result that she still really just sounded like she was violently dying.

“Hey, why are you laughing?” Frosta yelled indignantly. Pretty rude of Glimmer to come over for a sleepover in Frosta’s own palace and then laugh at her like her battle skills were a joke. “I _did_ crush Horde Prime’s robots. You were _there_!” She looked at Perfuma, who seemed to be trying not to laugh herself but was holding it together a lot better than Glimmer. “What is her problem?” Frosta demanded.

Perfuma giggled. “Frosta, what do you think it means to have a crush on someone?”

Frosta narrowed her eyes. A trick question? Perfuma wouldn’t trick her… “It means you crushed them. Destroyed them in battle.”

Glimmer, who had almost regained her composure, lost it again immediately at this response. “HORDE PRIME!” she howled. “She said she has a crush—” she gasped for air, “—on _Horde Prime_!” She dissolved into cackles, tears of mirth streaming down her face.

Frosta shifted uncomfortably. She was beginning to get the sense that she was wrong on her definition.

Perfuma gently placed her hand on Frosta’s shoulder. “So… that’s not what it means. Crushing someone in battle is very different from _having a crush on_ someone.”

“Oh.” Frosta felt her face going red. “Well what’s it mean, then?”

“A crush is when you like someone,” Perfuma started to explain.

Not wanting to stew in this embarrassment any longer, Frosta cut her off and tried again. “Well then I have a ‘crush’ on lots of people. Like you guys and all the other princesses and—”

“No, no,” said Glimmer, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes and pushing herself back up. “Crush means you _like_ -like them. Like me and Bow. Like you wanna be their girlfriend.”

 _Oh. Gross,_ Frosta thought instinctively. But then slowly her eyes widened as she realized the gravity of her mistake. “Oh NOOOOO! Oh no I said I _like_ -like _Horde Prime_! Aaaaaaa! I take it back! Aaaaaaaaa!” She grabbed the nearest pillow, buried her face in it, and continued yelling incoherently into it. Glimmer and Perfuma started laughing again and Frosta couldn’t help joining in despite her mortification.

It took them all a few minutes to calm down. Finally, Glimmer tried again. “So now that we have clarified what a crush is and that you do _not_ have a crush on _Horde Prime_ —” (Frosta snorted) “—is there anyone you _actually_ have a crush on?”

Frosta wrinkled her nose. “Gross, no!”

“No one at all?” Glimmer prodded in a drawn out sing-song.

“No, stop being weird!” Frosta shoved Glimmer and she toppled into a pillow.

“Okayyy,” Glimmer said in the same teasing voice.

That tone was getting on Frosta’s nerves. She could take being teased, but Glimmer was basically calling her a liar, _insinuating_ that she felt some way that she _didn’t_. She suddenly felt a lot angrier than the situation called for. “Seriously, stop! Why do you sound like you don’t believe me? Are you making fun of me again? I _don’t_ like anyone like that, that’s weird! I’ve never had a ‘crush’!”

“Come on, you’re like fourteen, right?” Glimmer insisted. “You can tell us, we won’t judge. There must have been _someone_ —” She faltered when Perfuma put a hand on her arm.

Perfuma fixed her compassionate eyes on Frosta. “That’s okay, Frosta.” She smiled. “I haven’t either.”

Glimmer did a double take. Frosta stared.

“Really? But you’re old!” Frosta exclaimed without thinking. Luckily, Perfuma just laughed and didn’t get offended. _You can be old and still not like anyone like that?_ Frosta thought in awe. _Wait a second, but—_

Glimmer voiced Frosta’s confusion first. “But you—but you’re with…”

“I’m with Scorpia!” Perfuma’s eyes seemed to shine with happiness and she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. “I’m in a romantic relationship with her and I love her. She’s my best friend. But I’m aromantic.”

Glimmer looked baffled. “You’re… why are you with Scorpia if you’re aromantic?”

“Because I want to be,” Perfuma answered simply with a serene smile.

“…Oh.”

Glimmer didn’t seem to totally understand, but Perfuma had already moved on. She turned to Frosta with warm understanding.

“Always remember Frosta, there’s real power in friendship. I am in a relationship with Scorpia because I want to be, but you don’t have to be in a relationship with anyone if you don’t want to be. That doesn’t make you less of a person. Friendships are _not_ less important than romantic relationships, nor any other kind of relationship. Love between friends is _not_ less valuable than love between partners. Friendships are full of value and love and joy and strength. I know it must be lonely being so much younger than most of your friends. I know sometimes it seems like everyone is in relationships, and they make it seem like that’s the only way to be happy. But I promise you, it’s not. Your life is your own. You get to do whatever _you_ find fulfilling, not what everyone else seems to find fulfilling. As long as you’re true to yourself, happiness will arise within you.” She smiled.

Frosta stared at Perfuma while she talked, spellbound, hanging onto every word. A lump had formed in her throat and she didn’t quite understand why. She nodded mutely.

Glimmer stared at Perfuma too. “I didn’t know you felt that way, Perfuma,” she said softly.

Perfuma turned her peaceful gaze Glimmer’s way. “Every life path has challenges. The only way to reach our fullest potential is to accept ourselves the way we are rather than trying to change ourselves just because of what everyone else is doing.”

The corner of Glimmer’s mouth curved up slowly, thoughtfully.

“So you’re telling me,” Frosta said in a small voice, “that I don’t have to be in a relationship when I’m older in order to be happy?” She knew perfectly well what Perfuma had said but she wanted to hear it again, because this might change everything. Her whole vision of the future, of herself as the ruler of her kingdom side by side with a faceless, genderless partner who meant nothing to her. It was what she had been taught by her advisors. It was what was modeled by everyone older than her friends. It had never appealed to her, but she’d never questioned it.

“No, honey. It will only make you happy if it’s something you want. If you don’t really want it then it will always feel forced and uncomfortable. Other things can make you just as happy; you just have to listen to your heart. What does your heart say will make you happy?”

 _My heart?_ “I dunno… I’m still pretty young.”

“You are young, and the things that make you happy are bound to change as you grow. But what about right now?”

“ _Right_ now?” she grinned. “How about COOKIES!”

“I like the way you think, Frosta!” cried Glimmer.

“I’ll get us some!” Frosta scrambled up and over to the door to talk to the guard in the hall. “Can you please get us some cookies from the kitchen?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Cookies would make them all happy right now. Later, she could put more time into thinking about what she actually wanted out of _life_ , but that was some heavy introspection and vulnerability that she did not want to explore tonight. Tonight was about having a fun night off at a sleepover with her friends who she couldn’t visit nearly often enough. She turned back to their blanket nest and felt a rush of warmth. She loved them, and they loved her, and that was what mattered right now.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the one-year anniversary of Horde Prime’s defeat. All across Etheria there would be celebrations all week. Tonight, Queen Glimmer was hosting a smaller gathering in Bright Moon and she’d invited all of the princesses and other key players in the Rebellion. It would be the first time they were all together in one place since the war ended.

Entrapta was nervous. Evidence from several past social experiments indicated that it would be considered rude if she did not attend such a selective gathering, but she really wasn’t sure that going would be such a good idea. It would likely involve small talk and “mingling”. Entrapta was great at talking about tech and data and science, but other people didn’t seem to enjoy it as much as she did. She made them uncomfortable without meaning to, and making people uncomfortable was only a couple steps away from them not wanting to be friends with her at all.

Hordak had decided he wasn’t coming with her because he didn’t think he would be welcome, being the ex-Horde leader and all. Entrapta had tried to win him over by saying Catra would be there and she was also an ex-Horde member, but unfortunately that seemed to only strengthen his resolve not to go. She had to concede that perhaps he had a point anyway—not all of the princesses understood him like Entrapta did and they might react negatively to his presence.

So Entrapta was nervous. But she was also excited to see her friends again, especially Scorpia. Scorpia called her sometimes, and they managed to make good conversation even though Entrapta didn’t know what to say on the phone when she was trying not to talk about science. Scorpia made it easy somehow. Entrapta was also particularly looking forward to seeing Bow given their shared interest in tech, and she was very curious to analyze how Catra had changed in the past year—Scorpia claimed she had “grown a lot” since Entrapta and the others rescued her from Horde Prime’s ship.

But unfortunately for Entrapta, upon arriving at the room where the mingling was occurring, she was immediately cornered by Mermista and Sea Hawk (who appeared to be together now despite numerous past claims that it was “not a thing”).

“Hey, it’s Geek Princess! Entrapta, how have you been?”

Mermista was wearing a semi-formal turquoise dress and Sea Hawk had on a pirate jacket that seemed quite a bit fancier than his usual one. Entrapta realized in that moment that she was probably underdressed in her regular lab outfit. Oh well, this shirt didn’t have grease stains on it so that was pretty good.

“Oh hey, Mermista! And Sea Hawk! I’ve been working on a project with Hordak trying to design a super long-range communicator that we can use in space for She-Ra’s space missions! We’re basing the designs off of the communicators from Horde Prime’s spire which were very advanced, so it shouldn’t take long until we have a working prototype.”

“That actually… sounds pretty cool,” Mermista commented.

“It’s AWESOME! We got so much data from that spire! You should _see_ some of the robots I made using the Horde’s tech! Plus we’ve designed and built an entire new computer and operating system for our projects that has 132 times more storage space and runs programs 38 times faster than my previous system! Hordak thinks it will help immeasurably with efforts to combine First Ones tech with Horde tech.”

“Sounds like an adventure indeed!” Sea Hawk mused, stroking his extra-shiny mustache.

“So, you and Hordak,” said Mermista. “What’s the deal with that, anyway?”

Entrapta blinked at the sudden change of subject. “The deal?”

“Yeah, like what’s going on with you two? Are you a thing, or…?”

“Hordak and I are lab partners,” Entrapta explained. It seemed obvious to her, but this must be one of those times where she had to spell everything out in simple terms.

“ _Just_ lab partners? Or something _more_?” Mermista’s tone was insinuating something. Entrapta wasn’t sure what.

“Um, I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.”

“You know, like are you guys a couple. Like—” she scanned the room quickly and pointed, “—like Spinnerella and Netossa.”

“Or Mermista and me!” Sea Hawk sang, throwing his arm around her shoulders.

Mermista’s cheeks reddened but she didn’t remove his arm. “Ugh, yeah. Or us.”

Entrapta hesitated. “I don’t think so. Couples traditionally do things such as kissing and holding hands and exchanging sentimental gifts. Hordak and I don’t do those things, so we must not be a couple.”

“So you’re just friends then,” Mermista clarified, raising an eyebrow.

Entrapta hesitated again, fiddling with her welding gloves. “Well that doesn’t sound right either. There are two problems with that statement: the first is that the phrase ‘just friends’ would imply that being friends is less important than being a couple, which, according to data I acquired from Scorpia and Perfuma, doesn’t seem to be the case. They are both quite adamant that friendships are important and valuable, and my own experience indicates likewise as well. Additionally, the category of ‘friends’ traditionally doesn’t involve long-term cohabitation or pooling of resources or planning one’s future around the other’s skills and interests, and Hordak and I _do_ do those things. The nature of our relationship does not appear to fit neatly or perfectly within the ‘friends’ category or the ‘couple’ category.” Entrapta spoke very fast; the sooner she could figure out how to end this conversation, the better. As small talk topics go, _feelings_ was not one of Entrapta’s favourites.

Mermista and Sea Hawk seemed lost.

“So you’re…?” Mermista prompted.

“Lab partners, yes,” Entrapta repeated distractedly. She’d just spotted Scorpia’s giant frame across the room, mingling with Perfuma, Bow, and Catra. Fantastic: all the people she most wanted to see in one place and also the perfect excuse to exit to this uncomfortable conversation. “Well it was good to see you but I must go engage in small talk with others now! Have fun mingling!” Without waiting for a response, she knocked down her face shield and used her hair to take quick long strides toward Scorpia.

**Author's Note:**

> There are infinite ways to be aro! These are just a few. Maybe I'll add another chapter if I figure out how to write a scene where Double Trouble's aromanticism comes up, because I really want some happy loveless/nonamorous aro rep in here.
> 
> Shoutout to the aros in this fandom! I know there's a whole bunch of us cuz I see y'all on tumblr with your She-Ra icons reblogging my aro posts :)


End file.
